Battlefield Vietnam has captured the essence of the Vietnam Wars. The maps
reflect perfectly how the battles took place, in the way of Ambush Points where
the opposition can spawn at marked points where there actually is no
spawn-point. As for gameplay, extremely difficult! Which is not a bad thing!
Vietnam focuses more on the strategic side of things rather than the original
1942 that was focussed on speed & brute force. You literally need to crawl
through the long grasses to keep a low profile. AI has also improved in the way
that the AI team-up & work together, this makes for some mouse gripping
tension!
Instead of your normal 5 character classes, under each you have a subclass
where you can select between a range of weapons. To name a few, heavy
machine-guns & booby-traps. The vehicles, as always, are fantastic, however
if you think you've got an advantage by jumping into a tank, you're wrong!
Because Vietnam terrain is so rigid, there are places you will struggle to drive
a tank through. The maps are huge, but you are navigating closely with your
opponents which makes for a completely different type of gameplay. Though planes
I have noticed are quite rare, helicopters are abundant. Chopper flight is
incredibly easier than in Desert Combat, the controls are simple, but you need
to watch you're altitude. Chopper transport is FAST! Though you may not get many
kills in a chopper, you will certainly contribute to teamwork.
Stealth, Strategy and Team work is what Vietnam is all about, and it
certainly captures the intense realism of the Vietnam Wars. Goodluck
Soliders ;o)